Inside Vipers minicamp: Day 12

PLANT CITY, Fla. -- If you've been hanging around Vipers minicamp, you know it's hard to miss the man in the beige hat, dark sunglasses and all-black getup.

To call 78-year-old defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville a "living legend" would be an understatement.

Glanville is doing much more than just living: He's busy building the Vipers defense into a force to be reckoned with.

When we caught up with him late Tuesday afternoon after a long day of practice and meetings, he was in the defensive staff room, wielding a green laser pointer and analyzing footage on a projector.

"I've had a lot of football teams. These players are not normal. We're very fortunate," Glanville said. "Defensively, we're going to run better than anybody you've seen run."

Vipers defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville

On this second-to-last day of minicamp, Glanville said he's happy with the progress he's seen so far.

"We're not even the same people that we were three weeks ago," he said. "Overall, we're very pleased."

When asked if there were any surprises during minicamp, Glanville pointed to one position group in particular.

"We thought we'd have good defensive linemen. We think we're past good at that position," he said. "The Vipers defensive line: They're awesome."

When the XFL kicks off in February 2020, it will mark Glanville's seventh decade in football. Even though he's coached thousands upon thousands of players, he's clearly impressed with the guys on his current roster.

"They want to play. They love football," he said. "It makes it easy."

"We're going to run better than anybody you've seen run."

DC Jerry Glanville on the defense he's building

Before we wrap it up, one final quote from the DC:

On the subject of "wrapping it up," Wednesday is the final day of minicamp.